'Attackers Of Doctors Don't Deserve Liberty': Supreme Court On Assault On Doctors In Thane
Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre is accused of assaulting doctors at a municipal hospital in Thane district in July 2026.
By Sumit Saxena
Published : September 1, 2026 at 6:16 PM IST
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that those who don't have any respect for people from the medical fraternity don't deserve liberty.
The apex court also observed that the Bombay High Court was "fully justified" in taking suo motu cognisance and staying the bail granted by a trial court to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, accused of assaulting doctors at a municipal hospital in Thane district in July 2026.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta was hearing the pleas, including the one filed by Mhatre, challenging the high court's orders.
A counsel appearing for one of the petitioners argued that the order passed by the high court on July 18 was wrong. "This is a case where the High Court is fully justified in taking suo motu cognisance and staying the bail," it said.
"Those who don't have any respect for people from the medical fraternity don't deserve it," the bench observed. The bench said that doctors, including a lady doctor, were assaulted and the video of the incident went viral.
"Imagine the trauma of the person when a mob attacks. You can go inside a hospital and hit any random person," the top court asked. The counsel appearing for the Maharashtra government said they would also file a petition challenging the grant of bail.
The bench has scheduled the matter for hearing on September 7. On July 6, Mhatre and other accused gathered at the hospital and allegedly assaulted the doctors after an argument over the purported delay in treating a woman patient.
Mhatre, a corporator of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, has challenged the conditions imposed by the high court while granting bail. On July 18, taking suo motu cognisance, the high court stayed the bail granted by the lower court and asked Mhatre to surrender before the police.
Later, on August 7, the high court granted bail to Mhatre and ordered that the trial be fast-tracked and completed in a time-bound manner. The high court had also granted bail to three other accused in the alleged assault case that triggered massive outrage.
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